Allegorische titelpagina met Mercurius en Minerva c. 1625

This allegorical title page with Mercury and Minerva was created by Cornelis Galle I, sometime between the late 16th and mid-17th century. It is a black and white print. In Galle’s time, the depiction of Greco-Roman deities was a means of conveying humanist values and aspirations. Here we see a naked Mercury, messenger of the gods, positioned alongside Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. These figures flank a central cartouche and symbolize the values of trade, diplomacy, and military prowess as essential to a thriving society. It's interesting to consider how these figures, embodying traditionally masculine domains of intellect and commerce, are presented in gendered terms. Minerva, though a powerful goddess, is still bound by expectations of female virtue and duty, whilst Mercury has freedom and mobility. The print invites reflection on the legacies of power and knowledge, and on the subtle ways in which gender roles were constructed and reinforced through art.